


The Path to Hell

by aimeegator



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Demons, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fantasy, First work - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Gay, Lesbian Character, Original Characters - Freeform, Original work - Freeform, Romance, fluff?, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-06-02 10:45:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6563188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimeegator/pseuds/aimeegator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Braxton is a demon chick who has a particular not-so-innocent interest in the girl next door who needs a place to stay. Natalie, on the other hand, doesn't even suspect a thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They say the path to Hell is paved with good intentions. Braxton always hated that stupid saying. Regardless, as she stood on her tip-toes and peered outside of her apartment, she couldn’t help but think of that dumb expression, and laugh quietly to herself.

Currently, a couple was fighting outside of her door. Braxton didn’t know her neighbors, and had not, in fact, even seen their faces. Nonetheless, she could not help being nosey and watching their petty argument through her peep hole. She watched as a man walked back and forth from inside his apartment to the door, an armload of stuff being tossed carelessly into the hallway each time. This appeared to be to the dismay of the girl who was watching all of this happen helplessly. She had been the one doing most of the arguing, with the man only making small interjections every so often.

The girl was crying, that much Braxton could tell. Her back was to her door, so she could not tell what she looked like. From the back, she appeared to be on the larger side with long wavy hair that reached her lower back. She was tall, almost as tall as the guy who was obviously kicking her out.

“Please, Jonah. Please, j-just listen to me! Please stop this...” The guy, Jonah, obviously was not going to stop. He did not even look at the girl. He would just pace, stoney-faced, moving her belongings to the hallway. Sometimes the girl would try to grab his arm, but he either shook her off or dodged her completely. 

After watching this for about ten minutes, the guy brought out one more load of things, and finally stopped moving. He stared down at the things that were thrown haphazardly around him before he sighed slowly and looked up. His face was emotionless, and he did not say a word. 

“Jonah…please.” The girl’s shoulders fell. Braxton watched her shoulders shake gently as another wave of crying took over her. “I…I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Natalie, I’m not doing this anymore. I’m sure if you call, you can get ahold of someone. Just…go.” With that, he let his eyes linger on her for just a moment, and he turned and walked inside, closing the door gently behind him.

Natalie’s crying was audible now, just quiet sobs. She stood there, crying, for a while. She looked down at her things and just stared.

Braxton watched her, and thought that this was, by far, the most uninteresting fight she had ever seen. She was about to go back to her living room and leave the crying girl to her own devices, but she started to move, and Braxton was interested in seeing what she looked like.

Natalie hovered around what Braxton assumed were her belongings. She started several times to pick up some of the things, but she would grab some and put them back down. Often, she just fluttered her hands about, trying to figure out what to pick up and what to put down. She eventually stopped trying to pack the things up, and sighed. Wiping her face, she turned around.

She had a pretty face, Braxton thought. Her nose, pink from all of the crying, was perked up slightly. Her brown hair was pinned up out of her face with a flower bobby pin. It looked a little childish, Braxton thought, but it suited her. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. 

The girl walked to the wall and leaned against it with a thud. She slid down and sat on the floor, hugging her knees. Braxton only watched her sit there for a few seconds before she left the peep hole.

Braxton found her interesting, beautiful, and most importantly, available. It appeared that she had just suffered a break-up, and Braxton knew that sad girls equated to easy girls. This girl, Natalie, did not have anywhere else to go. So, logically, she absolutely could not say no to a friendly neighbor offering her a place to stay. With a little bit of gentle coaxing, Braxton figured, she would not be able to say no to a friendly neighbor offering to have sex with her either. Braxton puckered her lips and tried to remember the last time she had had sex with another woman, and upon not remembering a time, figured maybe she was due. Plus, once she was done, she could just throw the silly girl to the streets where she was bound to go anyway. Not her problem.

She checked herself in the mirror by the door and swept some stray hairs to where they belonged, and laughed quietly to herself. She remembered the saying again and found the irony comical. It was ironic, because Braxton had walked the proverbial “path to Hell.” She was from there, after all. Braxton was a demon, and a lustful one at that. As she unlocked her door, she reflected on her intentions and just how bad they were. 

 

When Natalie heard the door across from her being opened, she quickly wiped away the tears that rolled down her face. She blushed, embarrassed, as she realized that people probably heard the entirety of her being kicked out. She tried to busy herself with moving her things around so that she could feign normality when the neighbors saw her.

What Braxton did see was the same useless hand fluttering that Natalie had been doing before, only now with some kind of shaken purpose. She stood in her doorway, waiting for Natalie to look over or greet her. It seemed Natalie was looking at literally anything except her. Braxton cleared her throat, but to no avail.

She finally figured that this girl was not going to talk to her unless she initiated it. She leaned against the door frame and smiled.

“Do you need help with that?”

Natalie finally looked up, but she did not quite look Braxton in the eyes. She offered a weak smile. “N-no thank you. I’m just…packing some of this stuff up. Waiting for the movers.”

Braxton arched a thin eyebrow. “No you’re not. You have moved that coffee pot like three times now. What are you gonna do?”

Natalie blinked at the stranger’s brashness. “Uh, well, I figured I would pack it with the kitchen stuff…”

Braxton barked a laugh. “No, I mean, what are you gonna do?”

Natalie finally looked her in the eye, but her stare was blank and confused.

Braxton motioned to Natalie’s piles of things. “You said so yourself. You don’t have anywhere else to go.” Natalie blushed. “So I’m asking, what are you gonna do?”

Natalie wrung her hands and chewed on her lower lip. “I…I don’t, uh…I guess I can call…someone…”

Braxton smiled. “How about this? You and I get your crap from out of the hallway and put it in my room. Until you get ahold of someone.”

Natalie glanced behind Braxton into her open apartment. “I…no…I-I don’t want to be a burden-“

Braxton cut her off. “Well you don’t need to sit outside his door and cry anymore. It’s a bit pathetic.”

Natalie blushed again, but did not argue. “If you don’t mind…”

Braxton lifted a box from the pile. “Hey, I’m the one who offered. You can set the stuff just inside, by the door.”

She wiped her eyes resolutely, and stood up from the floor. She grabbed a pile of clothes, and hesitantly followed the stranger into her apartment.

 

Natalie had a lot of stuff, and Braxton sat down hard on the couch with a huff when they finished moving all of her things. Natalie followed suit, albeit a bit more politely and hesitantly. While Braxton flopped down and sprawled herself on the cushions, Natalie sat straight, her hands tucked between her knees on the armchair facing the couch.

Braxton sat with her head back and her eyes closed, and Natalie took this opportunity to look at the girl. She was small, both in height and weight. When they were moving her things, Natalie noticed that the girl came to her shoulder in height. She wore a ragged pair of cargo shorts and a loosely fitted tank top. The arm holes were stretched so far, Natalie could see the girl’s black sports bra. The stranger had short hair, which was styled so that the front spiked up. The sides of her hair were longer, framing her face. It was a strange haircut, but it somehow suited the strange girl.

Natalie looked away quickly when she noticed that the girl was watching her stare. Braxton smiled amusedly, sitting up. She sat with her arms rested on her legs. 

“Braxton, by the way. That’s my name. I heard your name earlier. Natalie, right?”

Natalie laughed weakly and tossed her hands. “Yeah, that’s me.” She mentally kicked herself for sounding like a dork. “Braxton, huh? That’s different.”

Braxton waved away the comment. “It’s a family name, or something like that.”

Natalie hummed a response, and bounced her leg. “Oh! I never thanked you. Thanks for letting me sit here until I get ahold of someone. I appreciate it.”

“No big deal. I just personally didn’t want to give the Jonah fellow the satisfaction of leaving you out there. What a douchebag, by the way.” Braxton pointed a thumb toward the door, indicating the neighbor.

Natalie looked down, but did not respond.

Braxton stood, stretching her arms above her head and yawned openly. “Well, I want some coffee. I’m gonna hook up your coffee maker. That fine?”

“Yeah, go ahead. Make a pot, I’ll drink some myself. May I use your restroom?”

Braxton jerked her head toward the bathroom door in response. Natalie left, and Braxton put herself to work with the coffee.

Braxton thought about Natalie. She really was attractive, definitely Braxton’s type. Whether or not she was attracted to women was anyone’s guess, but Braxton doubted it mattered much. Or, at least, it would not matter later when she tried to make a move on her. 

When it came to demons and demonic beings, there were several types. Some of them were good at manipulating human minds to do their bidding. Some demons were good at haunting. Other beings existed for the sole purpose of stealing human possessions through contracts and deals. Braxton was part of the order of demons that specialized in human lust. In short, she was attractive to everyone, in some degree. Many people lusted after her body, whereas others were weak to her mind and words. All of them went to bed with her. 

As to why Hell needed lustful demons on Earth-proper for the purpose of bedding down humans was unknown to Braxton. She was not high enough in the hierarchy to know. All she knew was that she began existing about 14 years ago at her current age. She was immediately placed in an office where a female demon with no ears or hair gave her the rundown on her existence. She was given a choice on a name, and Braxton just said the first thing that came to mind. She was told that she was of the order succubae, and she was to be stationed on Earth-proper. She would be given living arrangements, an allowance, and human identification. All she had to do was what her instincts told her to do. Failure to do so would end in termination. 

Braxton, who had only begun existing about an hour prior, nodded and went through a series of training sessions that taught her not only how to exist as herself, but also how to exist in the human world. Most demons had demonic forms that were unattractive or scary to humans. Braxton, for example, looked human, with the exception of she had a large pair of horns which curved to cradle a floating flame that danced above her head. She had an extra pair of arms right below her normal set, and she had a long, skinny, barbed tail. Blending in with the humans was easy when she properly masked these additions. 

Braxton never wondered why she was made or how or anything like that. Demons were just there. Popping in and out of existence all of the time. Some stayed in unseen dimensions, most stayed in Hell, and some, like Braxton, lived on Earth-proper. She did not have a job. She was given no task upon existing. She just lived according to what she was. 

She required sex with humans. That is the way of the succubae. If she did not breed them, she got weak and felt what could only be described as hunger. In fact, when she was first sent to Earth-proper, she was famished. She had spent her entire short life in Hell, where no humans lived. When she got to Earth-Proper, she bedded several men and women. It was these first desperate escapades that taught her how humans interacted with others, and what they wanted and expected. Sex was easy. If she wanted to have intercourse with a human, she could. But after a while, understandably, it got boring. Now, she entertained herself with playing with humans. Toying with their emotions and letting them come to her. She enjoyed when she was able to make them want to have sex with her, instead of just forcing them to. It added fun to the equation.

“Braxton?” Braxton jumped when Natalie spoke to her. She had been lost in thought and had not heard Natalie come back. 

“Yeah? What’s up?” 

“I asked if the coffee was done.” Natalie knitted her eyebrows together.

“Oh, yeah. It’s done. How do you like it?” Braxton took out the sugar and creamer.

“Oh, I can make it. Thank you.” Natalie came and poured herself a cup and began pouring her preferred things into the dark liquid. Braxton just poured a black cup of coffee and returned to her couch, sipping gingerly on the steaming beverage.

“I have tried to call my parents, but they won’t answer. Didn’t expect them to. They haven’t in years.” Natalie held her cup in both of her hands, and she stared into it. 

“Have you tried a friend? Sibling?” 

Natalie frowned. “So far no one has answered, but I’ll keep trying. And I’m an only child.”

Braxton nodded. “So, you meant it when you said you had nowhere to go, huh?”

Natalie blushed and frowned harder into her untouched coffee. “I’ll keep calling my parents. Maybe they will answer and I can get them to wire me some money or something.” She sighed.

Braxton loved where this was going. The silly girl had no other choice to stay at her place. Braxton knew that. And she could feel the conversation headed that direction. It was appetizing. It was easy. But that was the problem: It was boring. So instead of offering, she leaned back on the couch, and sipped her bitter coffee. “Yeah, keep trying. Maybe you can get some cash for a hotel or something.”

Braxton smiled inwardly at Natalie’s downcast gaze. She wanted her to ask. “I’ll keep calling then. Hey, thanks again for letting me sit here. It was really nice of you.”

Braxton smiled outwardly that time. “No problem, Natalie.”

 

Natalie called and called. She sent several texts. Eventually, she had to plug her phone to her charger because she drained the battery from calling over and over. Braxton sat there sympathetically, knowing by the first hour that no one was going to answer. Natalie even tried calling her other friends, but those calls ended in gentle “no’s” from the recipient. Braxton could feel Natalie’s anxiety like static in the air. 

Natalie was at the point now that she had her phone sat down, the dark face of it staring at her unresponsively. Her leg jumped rapidly, and she gnawed on her lip. The unasked question she had in her mind lingered in the air between them. 

Braxton scrolled through her phone idly, biding time. She had nothing else to do, so she sat and waited for Natalie to finally ask to stay. It was getting late, and the final colors of the day were sinking away. A few red rays of sun were cast on Braxton’s apartment wall through the blinds. 

Things were getting dull on Braxton’s phone, and she was about to ask if Natalie wanted to watch television to pass the time, but Natalie cleared her throat and looked up at Braxton. Braxton put her phone away and smiled.

“Braxton…thanks for letting me stay. It was nice of you, but I have to get going. Will you help me move my things to my car?”

Braxton raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t under the impression you got ahold of anyone.”

Natalie twisted the ends of her hair nervously. “Well, I didn’t get anyone to answer or say yes. But I figure if I go knock on some doors someone will let me stay.”

Braxton barked out a laugh. “A gambler, huh? What if they still say no?”

Natalie shrugged slowly. “I can maybe find a hotel or something.”

Braxton watched Natalie get up and start moving her things around. She sneered. Braxton had been resolute that she wanted Natalie to ask to stay. That way she might feel guilty for intruding. People who feel guilty are more likely to say yes when they are asked for things. However, Braxton could not ignore the hunger that started rumbling in her chest. She really did not care to let this beautiful, easy opportunity pass.

Annoyed, she sat forward on the couch cushions. “That’s an awful idea. This is Crescent City. You don’t want a hotel. And you sure don’t want to sleep in your car. ‘Cause that’s what’s gonna happen if you go door knocking.”

Natalie picked at her sweater sleeves. “I know…”

Braxton hefted herself up and walked to Natalie. “Just crash here a few nights. Until you can get Mom and Dad to answer. Okay?”

“I-I can’t do that. I mean, you have been so nice to me already. I don’t want to take advantage…”

Braxton smiled sweetly. “Hey, it’s just a few nights. It won’t bother me at all. I don’t work or go to school. No family near here. If you don’t stay, I’ll just sit in this empty apartment alone like always. It gets boring. You can crash on the couch. It’s comfy. Oh! And it folds out. I almost forgot about that. I have spare blankets and stuff.”

Natalie worried her lip between her teeth, and considered the question for several moments. “You sure?”

Braxton held her hands up. “Of course. What else are friends for?”

Natalie smiled a big, pretty smile. “Oh, Braxton. I owe you big time.” She pulled at her hands and looked at her stuff. “Just for, like, three days. Tops. You mind if I put a few things in your bathroom?”

Braxton nodded her head toward the room. “Hey, unpack all you need. Make yourself at home.”

With a big, dopey smile, Natalie started going through boxes and moving stuff around. Braxton lounged on the couch and watched her. The watched the way she moved around, and how she got aggravated with her long hair and tossed it out of the way as she unpacked. She watched the way she mouthed silently when she was thinking. She really was awfully beautiful. 

Braxton laid her hand on her chest when she felt it tighten slightly. She stared at Natalie again, and smirked to herself and the hunger that put pressure on her insides. She could do it right now if she wanted, she mused to herself. But she wanted the girl to come to her. It was less boring that way.

 

Natalie was very glad that Braxton had finally asked her to stay. She had started to feel really scared that she would be forced to find some dingy hotel or something. She did not have the courage to admit that she did not know a single person in this town except Jonah. She was only here because he had asked her to move in with him seven months ago. What a huge mistake that turned out to be. 

Braxton found her some spare blankets and pillows and helped her unfold the couch bed. She just finished making it, and she had all of her necessities unpacked and put where she needed them. Braxton helped her move the extra boxes and stuff into one of the closets, and excused herself to bed. Natalie now sat in the dark living room by herself in the stranger’s house.

She felt very guilty about staying. Her fear of sleeping in her car in some parking lot in a strange town felt horrifying, though, so she did not feel too bad about it. She had already promised herself and Braxton that this would not be for long. She would get ahold of somebody and find another place to stay.

She felt especially bad because she did not know the girl. Natalie had only been living in California for six months, and the only places she had seen were the beach, Walmart, and Jonah’s apartment. She had caught glimpses of some of the other neighbors, but never the tiny girl with the dark eyes. 

Natalie found Braxton interesting. She acted so confident and at ease. When she spoke, it felt raw and unfiltered. Her lose fitting clothes and strange haircut seemed more an aspect of her personality than simply what she chose to wear. And regardless of just how small she was, Braxton had a way of filling any room she walked into. Braxton liked to make eye contact a lot, which made Natalie nervous, but she had a very kind demeanor, so Natalie felt a little more at ease.

All of the apartment in the building had the same overall layout. Braxton’s apartment was just like Jonah’s, only backwards. Like, instead of the bathroom being on the left, it was on the right. So Natalie knew that the back door opened onto a balcony. She figured tonight was as good a night as any. Natalie dug through her purse until she found the shiny golden cigarette case and a lighter. Cigarettes in hand, Natalie tiptoed quietly to the glass sliding door, and snuck outside. 

Once outside, Natalie placed a cigarette in her mouth and lit it, inhaling the musky smoke. She leaned against the balcony railing and looked out over the city. Jonah’s apartment did not have a good view; all you could see from his balcony was the wall of the next building over. Braxton had a much better view. Natalie took drag after drag off of her cigarette and looked over the town until her head swam with the smoke and nicotine. She sank down and sat on the cold, hard floor of the balcony, resting her head on the railing.

The sun had set about two hours ago, so the view was dark. However, if Natalie looked long enough, she thought she could almost see the ocean. But it could have been her mind playing tricks on her as a result of the long day, the night, and the cigarette she held tightly in a shaking hand. She took one last, long drag and stamped the cigarette out on the railing, exhaling the billowing smoke into the night air. She felt in her bones just how tired she was. She slowly rose from the ground and snuck back inside.

Natalie laid down on the couch bed, which groaned when she put her weight on it. The frame felt uncomfortable, but at least it was not the old upholstery of her car seats or the bed of her ex. With that, Natalie smiled to herself and went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

It was mid-morning by the time Natalie woke up, and she was only confused about where she was for a moment. Her eyes darted around the small living room, before they settled on her suitcase by the couch-bed.

She sat up, and groaned; the center of her lower back had a dull ache. Natalie glared at the lousy bed and tried to stretch the soreness away. After lazily digging through her suitcase, she found a change of clothes and her bag of toiletries. Natalie could smell the cigarette smoke in her hair and she figured a nice warm shower would make her feel less groggy.

Braxton’s bathroom was small, but not uncomfortably so. It had a full bathtub, which delighted Natalie; in her previous room across the hall, the bathtub had been replaced with a cramped standing shower. The floor and walls were off-white and clean, and the red place rug on the floor matched the towels Braxton had hung on the racks. The shower curtain was a translucent red; Natalie ventured to guess Braxton was fond of the color.

She didn’t figure Braxton would mind if she used a towel, so she fetched one out of the cabinet above the toilet. When Natalie got into the steaming shower, she smiled at the cleanliness of the place. Natalie was fine with a messy house, but a dirty bathroom was something she couldn’t forgive easily. Braxton, however, seemed to be a pleasantly clean person, so much so that Natalie made sure to wipe up the spare water from the floor that dripped from her long hair as she was drying off. 

Dressed comfortably, Natalie wrapped her wet hair in the towel and left the bathroom, ready to compliment Braxton on her decorating. However, Natalie didn’t see her in the living room. Natalie busied herself in the meantime by folding the couch back up, and putting her suitcase in the closet so that it wasn’t in the way. She sat on the couch, and played on her phone for a while, before she could no longer ignore her hunger. While Natalie knew Braxton told her to make herself at home, she didn’t want to just dig in her kitchen and make herself some food. 

Natalie checked her phone, and saw that it was a bit past noon. Surely Braxton wasn’t still sleeping. Natalie padded quietly toward the closed bedroom door and listened to the slow breathing that was barely audible on the other side. Natalie put her knuckles gently on the surface of the door, but lost her nerve and dropped her hand. 

Instead, Natalie went back to the living room and dug into her purse. She grabbed her cigarette pack and quietly walked onto the balcony, closing the sliding glass door as gently as she could. She sat on the weathered patio chair and lit her cigarette. While it wasn’t breakfast, it would have to do for now. She slowly blew the acrid smoke out of her mouth and looked at the city unfolded below her. It looked somewhat different in the daytime, less malicious. Now that the sun was out, she could see the beach laid out before her. The water sparkled playfully in the sun. 

Natalie loved the beaches in California. She was originally from Montana, and there wasn’t anything as beautiful as the western coastline back at home. The water felt refreshing to Natalie. Almost as if it washed away the dark and evil in the world. The sand always made Natalie feel warm just from looking at it, and when she first visited the beach, she spent a lot of time just feeling the sand with her feet and hands. Montana was a dark, cold, gray place. But California was beautiful to Natalie, because it was everything Montana was not.

Natalie let the cigarette hang from her lips as she rested her head on her hand. When she inhaled, she could almost taste the salt in the air. It was only mid-Spring, but the sun kissed her skin and blanketed her in warmth. The mountains back home were always bitter and frigid, and Natalie always hated the cold. She loved the warmth of Crescent City. 

She pushed up the long sleeves of the sweater she was wearing. She had not changed her wardrobe since she left home, and all of her things were winter clothes. Once she found a job, she would have to invest in some short-sleeves.

Thinking of her need for a job made Natalie take a long drag off of her cigarette. She knew her living situation wouldn’t last long, and she wasn’t going to hold her breath waiting for her parents to call back. They made themselves clear when she left home with Jonah that neither of them were welcome back. Natalie didn’t have much more money in her savings, and without Jonah to support her, she felt trapped. She hoped she could find a job somewhere in the city so that she wouldn’t have to be homeless or go home begging to be forgiven.

Natalie stamped out her half-smoked cigarette and sighed. Jonah was supposed to be more permanent than this. Now she was stranded in California depending only on the kindness of a neighbor. She blinked hard against the tears that pricked the corners of her eyes. She and Jonah had known each other since high school, and when they started dating they promised each other that they were leaving Montana behind them. After they graduated, they worked small jobs and saved up a little bit of money, and when they finally saved enough they left home. While she packed some things, Natalie’s parents told her not to come back, only in much more unpleasant words. 

Of course at the time, Natalie didn’t have a problem with that notion. She and Jonah left home, and they traveled. They moved from city to city, trying and failing to find somewhere that was just right. A few months turned into a few years, and before they knew it, they were in their twenties. They finally stumbled upon Crescent City, and Jonah found a decent job. They had been living here for seven months before Jonah decided that he was tired of waking up to just Natalie every morning. He found a girlfriend on the beach, and Natalie was left with nowhere to go. Natalie couldn’t say that it was a huge surprise. As the years went along, Natalie found that no matter where she went, her hometown followed. When she kissed Jonah, she tasted Montana. 

Nevertheless, Natalie’s heart ached. Jonah was her first and only boyfriend. They had laid in unfurnished apartments with no electricity and planned their eventual wedding in the dark. They slept in her car on the side of the road and talked about how many kids they wanted. Natalie had grown up as an accessory to Jonah, and now she felt like half of a person. Unable to stop them, tears fell down onto Natalie’s lap. 

She only let herself cry for a few minutes before she remembered Jonah’s infidelity. Anger subdued her sadness, and she felt better in a way. It might not be the best of ways to deal with her emotions, but it would have to do for now. She had more pressing matters to attend to. Such as, she was really hungry.

Natalie went back into Braxton’s apartment, expecting to see the girl’s small figure curled up on the couch. However, the room hadn’t seen any movement since she had walked outside. Natalie scoffed at her phone, which told her it was going on one in the afternoon. Natalie had to wake Braxton up.

She walked to Braxton’s bedroom door and listened. The slow breathing told her that Braxton was still asleep in there. She put her knuckles to the door again intending to knock this time, however when her hand touched the door it opened slightly. She pushed it open further and peered inside.

Braxton’s bedroom was like a cave. She had heavy curtains over the window so that the room stayed dark. Her bedding was a deep red color, and the entirety of the blankets were gathered up into a single lump on the bed. 

Natalie could only guess that the lump in the center of the queen bed was Braxton. Natalie cleared her throat, but nothing happened.

“Braxton.” Natalie whispered, which struck her as counterintuitive after she had done it. However, the lump in the bed shifted as Braxton stretched out her body and laid on her stomach.

“Braxton, you up?” Natalie spoke only a little louder.

Nonetheless, it worked. Braxton lifted herself and looked back sleepily at Natalie. When she did, the blankets slid down Braxton’s raised body, exposing her naked upper torso. In the darkness of the room, Natalie could only see the parts of Braxton that were illuminated by the light that poured in through the open door. Unfortunately for Natalie, Braxton was visible from the neck down, and she glimpsed Braxton’s pale breasts before she blushed and quickly averted her gaze, choosing instead to stare at the carpet.

Braxton blinked sleepily before she realized Natalie was there. She quickly pulled the blankets over herself, and pulled them over her head, hiding the pair of dark horns that had uncovered themselves when she slept. She glanced at Natalie, who was blushing and staring at the floor, and wondered if she had seen. 

“I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I just wanted to... I’ll go wait in the living room while you get dressed.” With that, Natalie left quickly, closing the door awkwardly behind her. 

Braxton let out her held breath slowly and relaxed. It seems all Natalie saw was her nudity, and for that Braxton was grateful. She threw the blankets off of herself and flicked the bedroom light on with a yawn. She reached up and rubbed the part of her scalp where the horns grew from, and she peered into the mirror. 

She had been taught how to cover her demonic attributes with a simple spell, and the spell had never failed her before. But now, Braxton peered into the mirror at the horns that sprouted form her messy hair and sighed. She looked down at the barbed tail which now twitched slightly in annoyance. She would have to remember to ask her agent why the spell faltered. Meanwhile, Braxton figured maybe her horns and tail wanted to breathe, so she kept them uncovered while she put on some clothes.

Braxton chuckled to herself when she remembered Natalie’s expression after seeing her naked. She couldn’t help but think that Natalie looked a little cute when she blushed. Thinking of it reminded her of a dream she had that night. Braxton stopped digging through her dresser to think, but all she could remember from the dream was Natalie, and in her dream Natalie was naked in Braxton’s bed. Braxton smirked, and the small flame above Braxton’s horns burned slightly brighter.

When Braxton saw the flame in her reflection, she quickly threw the cover spell over her horns and tail with a huff. She pulled on some comfortable clothes and left her room.

With another big yawn, Braxton walked into the living room. She nodded at Natalie who sat stiffly on the couch. Natalie didn’t look up at her. 

“I’m gonna make some coffee with your machine. That okay? I forgot how much I liked coffee. Want me to make enough for you?” Braxton was already walking to the kitchen area, but stopped and glanced back at Natalie. She saw Natalie avert her gaze as soon as Braxton turned. 

“Coffee, Natalie?” Natalie finally looked up. 

Natalie tried to respond, but the sound she made was soft and broken. She cleared her throat and finally responded.

“Coffee would be nice, thanks.”

Braxton nodded and started the machine. “Hey, don’t worry about waking me up. I needed to be woken up. I sleep too much these days.” Braxton was trying to ease Natalie’s tension, and it seemed to be working. 

“Sorry. I was going to ask if you wanted me to make anything for breakfast, uh, lunch.” Natalie stood and walked toward the kitchen.

Braxton hummed a response. “Well, I am starving. You like to cook? I’m terrible at it. I have tons of groceries, and all I eat is microwavable stuff. You can use whatever you like if you feel like cooking.”

Natalie brightened. “I like to cook, yeah. You sure?”

Braxton nodded. “Yeah. I’m gonna chill in the living room. Stay out of your way. Knock yourself out.” 

And with that, Braxton walked to the couch and threw herself onto it. Natalie finally breathed normally now that Braxton wasn’t looking at her. Natalie was a little unnerved by Braxton’s piercing eyes; it always seemed like Braxton was looking straight into her mind. Other than that, however, Braxton was a very relaxed, calm person. Natalie wondered if she ever actually sat properly on the couch, or if she always lounged like she was now.

After some searching, Natalie found some canned biscuits and frozen sausage. She had already started cooking, when the coffee maker stopped gurgling and finished brewing. Braxton looked over the back of the couch upside down at the coffee maker to see if it was done. 

“Want me to make you a cup?” Natalie still felt tense and awkward at seeing Braxton naked, and she was trying to defuse any tension. For all she knew, Braxton was aggravated at being woken up. And since it was Braxton’s kindness that Natalie was depending on for a place to stay, she wanted to make sure Braxton was happy.

“Sure. But I don’t want anything in it. It makes it too sweet.” Braxton head was still leaned back over the back of the sofa.

“Black it is then. I can’t stand it that bitter. I need it to taste good for me to drink it.” Natalie poured the coffee into a mug she found in one of the cabinets and walked toward Braxton.

“If I wanted to drink coffee that didn’t taste like coffee, I wouldn’t drink coffee. Mmm. Hand that over.” Braxton reached up and grabbed the coffee, and Natalie watched her cradle the mug in both hands and drink deeply from it. Natalie was sure it would burn her mouth, but she didn’t seem to mind. 

Natalie couldn’t help but giggle at how warmly Braxton was looking at the coffee mug. She had to remember to brew coffee for her whenever she wanted to butter Braxton up.

“Thanks. Hey, were you able to get ahold of anyone?” Braxton peered at Natalie through the steam.

Just like that, Natalie was reminded not to get too comfortable. She had to remember that this was only temporary. 

“Uh, no. Not yet. But I’ll keep trying.” With that, Natalie returned to the sizzling sausage on the stove.

Braxton inwardly fist pumped. She had a feeling that no one had called back, but in the off chance that there was someone out there who cared for this girl, she figured she had might as well ask. 

Braxton could smell the food Natalie was cooking. Braxton liked eating food. She didn’t have to eat it, but she enjoyed the tastes and smells. It was for this reason that her agent had arranged for Braxton to have food delivered to her. Having a kitchen of food was also a plus for the instances in which humans stayed at Braxton’s place for the night and wanted to eat before Braxton sent them on their way. 

Thinking of humans staying the night made Braxton’s chest tighten uncomfortably, so she figured she would attempt to eat away the feeling. She brought her coffee with her into the kitchen where Natalie was finishing making food. She sat at the small table and sipped her coffee. Natalie noticed her entrance and smiled warmly at her.

“So, Braxton, you said you didn’t go to work or school. So what do you usually do all day?” Natalie rummaged through the cabinets for dishes as she spoke.

Braxton tilted her head in thought. She did not usually have to explain her daily activities to the kinds of guests she kept, so she pondered what ordinary humans did during the day time. 

“Oh, you know, I just…chill. I watch television sometimes, but it’s kinda boring. I found out that I have internet on my phone, so I sometimes look at that.” Braxton chewed on her nail and wondered if that was an acceptable answer.

“You don’t have any hobbies? I like to read, but I haven’t in forever. I need to figure out where the library is.”

“Uh, I guess I like to read. I read stuff that I find on my phone.”

Natalie laughed. “Okay, so besides look on your phone, what do you do? Do you like to go out? Where do you go with your friends?”

“Well, there is a bar that I go to sometimes to, uh, meet people. But I usually stay home. I talk to Artemis when he comes by.”

“Is Artemis a friend of yours, or is he family?” Natalie was now bringing plates of food to the table.

“He is a friend, I guess. More of an annoyance, really.” Braxton took advantage of the food so that she didn’t have to talk anymore. She had not meant to talk about Artemis, but it slipped out. He was Braxton’s agent, who existed as a connection to Hell for her. He was in charge of answering any of Braxton’s questions, as well as keeping her house stocked and her bank account running. He also stopped by her apartment every month to keep her updated on any news of the other world, as well as checking in on her daily life. Artemis, to Braxton’s annoyance, also loved to talk incessantly.

“So, you don’t get out much? I can’t believe that. Ever since I moved down here, I’ve wanted to go look around. My ex didn’t much care for me getting out though, so I usually stayed home. I was bored out of my mind.”

“No, I haven’t really left my apartment much. Maybe we could sometime.” Braxton wanted to kick herself. She did not usually go places because she was advised against it. She was told that Earth-proper was a large place with many confusing things. In Hell, the classes on “How to Appear Human” were short, and only covered the basics. How to act normally outside of her apartment was something that she was not taught in great detail, so she was content to stay home. However, the idea felt enticing when it involved Natalie.

Natalie smiled excitedly. “Oh, I would love to! We could find the library and maybe stop by the beach. I love the beaches here. Nothing like them back home.”

Braxton smiled at her, but anxiously picked at a biscuit. She knew going places was advised against, but she always wondered vaguely what it was like outside of her apartment and the bar that was within walking distance. She would have to talk to Artemis first and see what he thought of the situation.

A loud ringing from the living room made Braxton and Natalie both jump, and Natalie got up to retrieve her ringing phone from the couch. She stared at it with a confused expression and indicated that she would take the call on the balcony. Braxton waved her away and started picking up the dishes from the table. 

Braxton mused while she cleaned up, thinking about how she never wondered about the world around her very much. She had never had any want to go anywhere except the bars where she found humans inebriated and looking for someone like Braxton to take them home. She had lived in the same apartment for all these years, talking to very few people and ignoring the things on her phone that mentioned other places. Until now, these things bored Braxton. 

But now, hearing Natalie talk about going places made Braxton curious. Natalie talked about the beach like it was something worth visiting, instead of being something Braxton smelled sometimes on the skins of people in her bed. She knew there were beaches here, but they never really occurred to Braxton as places instead of ideas. And what exactly was a library? It had something to do with reading, obviously, and Braxton could not shake the feeling that she had heard about a library in Crescent City before.

Natalie also mentioned “moving down here.” Braxton washed the dishes and wondered about where Natalie came from originally. It was odd, thinking of other places in Earth-proper that people moved to and from, places that sometimes had beaches and sometimes did not. The idea of it confused Braxton, and she made a mental note to look up what places had beaches and what places did not. Then maybe she could figure out where Natalie was from.

Braxton jumped when she heard a bang that sounded like it came from her bedroom. She wiped her wet hands on her sweatpants and walked towards her bedroom door. She glanced out the balcony door at Natalie, who was sitting at the table and speaking into her phone. Sure that she was not looking, Braxton cracked her door and crept inside. Braxton groaned, as she realized the source of the sound was exactly what she feared it would be.

A tall figure moved around the room in the darkness, picking up the blankets that Braxton had thrown on the floor earlier when she woke. Braxton flicked on the light as she closed the door securely behind her. At the sound, the figure turned to face Braxton. The figure had dark skin with light tan freckles spilling over his face, arms, and chest. He had light green eyes today, which was a nicer shade than the dark red they had been the last time Braxton had seen him. He had waist-length, bushy white hair, which was adorned with small bits of leaves, flowers, and sticks, which had snagged in the tangles. Sprouting from his head was a pair of antlers, each with four sharp prongs. He had the body of a human from the waist up, and the thin, furred legs of a deer, complete with hooves and a short tail. When the figure smiled, he flashed sharp white teeth at Braxton. When he spoke, his voice was soft and slightly high-pitched.

“Hey, B. Miss me?”

Braxton let out a sigh. “Hey, Artemis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow here is chapter 2. At this time, writing this is kind of low in my priority list, especially with my senior year of college starting in less than a week. So updates on this may be slow and irregular. But if interest spikes unexpectedly, that will definitely change...hint hint. But don't worry, I won't give up on this. It makes me so happy to have these characters and their story written down somewhere rather than floating around in my mind like all of my other ideas. Plus, writing this has given me a break from constantly drawing these babes; I swear, my sketchbooks are full of these girls! But I refuse to give up on this project, because it is important to finish the things you start, even if you aren't exactly happy with them. The feeling of completing something is so good, you forgive the mistakes you make along the way. That's my wisdom for the day!
> 
> By all means, leave kudos and comments so I know you are reading. I am always open to questions and criticisms, so throw them my way! Nothing makes me happier (except you lovely readers *wink*).


	3. Chapter 3

Braxton immediately put her finger to her lips, motioning Artemis to be quiet. He looked on amusedly, and pantomimed zipping his lips closed. Peering through her bedroom door, Braxton checked that Natalie was still on the balcony before locking herself and Artemis in her bedroom.

“Artemis, aren’t you a bit early?” Braxton still felt compelled to whisper, even though she knew Natalie could not hear her from the balcony.

Artemis did not look up from fixing the sheets back onto Braxton’s bed when he replied. “Only by a few days. But it is Spring, and my job is really hectic right now. I would either have to come a few days early or a whole week late. I didn’t think you would mind my company.” He looked up to pout his lips at Braxton. “I thought you liked hanging out with me.”

Braxton rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of her bed. “I just have a visitor right now, is all.”

Artemis sat beside her, crossing his long, thin legs. His green eyes sparkled with interest. “Oh? Is it male or female this time?”

“A girl. I found her in the hallway right after her boyfriend kicked her out. I might have asked her to stay a few days.” Braxton braced herself, knowing Artemis would probably chide her for that.

Artemis cocked an eyebrow, but did not say anything.

“I know I’m not really supposed to do that, but I figured she would be easy. Just a week, tops.” Braxton looked up at Artemis and batted her eyelashes. He smiled and pushed her gently with his shoulder.

“Hey, do what you have to do, Succubus. I won’t say anything. I was planning on starting up the wildfires again in this area, so I’m not the one to tell you how to do your job.” He flopped back onto Braxton’s bed, scattering a few leaves from his hair across her duvet. “So how is the food? All stocked up? And the living conditions? You have been here for a while, so I thought you may want to move soon. That way you could have some new stock to choose from. I wouldn’t want the people around here to get too used to seeing you.”

Braxton waved her hand absently “Everything is fine. Maybe more coffee next time. I did have a question though. This morning, I woke up and my concealment spell was gone. I didn’t lift it; I just woke up with it gone. What’s up with that?” Braxton looked down at Artemis, who was considering her through half-lidded eyes. 

He lifted his hand and moved it quickly over Braxton’s head, and she felt the concealment charm fade away. Artemis sat up and ran his hand over each horn slowly, checking them, and finally uncovered her tail, running it gently through is hand. His green eyes flittered as he considered her, and Braxton noted how Artemis poked his lips out slightly when he was focusing. After some thought, he flopped back down onto her bed, knocking loose more sticks and leaves out of his hair.

“Everything looks fine, physically. It must be the spell. Do it, and let me see if you are making any mistakes.”

Braxton nodded, and ran her hands over her horns and tail, covering them in the spell she had learned many years ago. They vanished from sight like they always did, as if she was sliding an invisible sheet over them.

“Hmm. That looks fine as well. It must have been your mood then.” Artemis sat up and faced Braxton. “Sometimes we find that the way we feel alters the strength of the concealment spell. For example, if you are particularly mad, your spell may falter due to your lack of focus. Any emotion can cause this, if it is strong enough. Since you said that you woke up to the spell being gone, that tells me that you may have had a dream that elicited strong emotion in you. And judging by the look on your face, I think that may have been the case.”

Braxton was acutely aware of the blush that rose hot on her cheeks, and she sneered at the laughter that bubbled out of Artemis. Braxton did have a dream last night, and all she could remember was dreaming of Natalie, naked and blushing in her bed. She mentally shook herself to be rid of the image. 

Artemis was still laughing as he spoke. “Well, the best thing for you is to stay out of sight in the mornings, if you are going to be having these kinds of dreams. Also, you need to feed. Feeding should keep these kinds of dreams at bay. I noticed the flame above your horns was a little hot, so don’t try to lie and tell me you have fed. I mean, you have an easy little human living in your home, at least get some use out of her.”

Artemis stood, stretching his arms above his head with a quiet groan. Braxton mentally traced the light colored freckles that spilled over his shoulders and down his back. “Did you need anything else? Your rent and bills are paid, and I’ll bring some groceries next time I stop by. I’ll try not to forget your coffee. This is the busiest season of the year for me, so I can’t stay to chat this time. Plus, you have company, so I’ll get going.”

The color of his freckles reminded Braxton of the sand on the beaches she had only seen from a distance. “Artemis, wait. I wanted to ask…is it okay for me to leave? Like, I wanted to look around the area. I never have, and I wanted to see what it is like.” She decided that it was best to not mention Natalie joining her on this excursion.

Artemis frowned at the request. “Braxton, you know you really aren’t supposed to leave like that. It isn’t safe for you to be far from home for that long.”

It was Braxton’s turn to pout. “But Arty, you know I haven’t caused any trouble before. I won’t be gone long, and I’ll be very safe. Please?

Artemis smiled, and traced his finger over his poked-out bottom lip, considering her request. “You have never called me ‘Arty’ before… I suppose it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. But you have to take certain precautions, okay? I want to you go during the day, so you won’t feel compelled to hunt. And make sure you stay focused on that spell, you wouldn’t want to reveal yourself to any humans, that wouldn’t make anyone happy down home.”

Braxton smiled warmly at him. “Thanks, Artemis. You won’t regret it, I promise. I’ll be super safe.”

Artemis pulled Braxton into a hug while Braxton struggled to get away. “I know you will. Be careful. I don’t want anyone getting hurt. You know how to reach me if anything happens. And I mean anything. I have to get going now.” He nodded at the bedroom door. “Enjoy your snack while she is here.” 

Braxton thought about Natalie, and suddenly remembered a question Natalie asked her earlier and turned to Artemis, who was preparing to leave. “Hey, Artemis. Would you say that we are friends?”

Artemis beamed at Braxton, showing his white teeth again. “Of course we are. I’ll see you later, B.” With that, Artemis smiled, and spread his arms. Bright green vines sprouted up from Braxton’s carpet and twisted themselves up his body, before they suddenly caught on fire. When the smoke cleared, Artemis was gone. Braxton waved the smoke out of her face and scoffed at his theatrics.

Braxton still sat on the edge of her bed, considering her conversation with Artemis. She had never had a problem with her concealment charms before, regardless of her many emotions and dreams. She had learned and practiced concealment charms for months before she was even allowed to entertain the notion of being in contact with humans. Focus was the most important part of any spell, and she had been assessed in many different situations to test how well she could hold her focus. She remembered doing just fine, and in the many years she had lived on Earth proper, she had never had any issues with not maintaining focus. Sure, during particularly hungry times, it was a challenge, but never in any way that worried Braxton. She was always able to keep herself under control. 

Braxton, finally tired of thinking about it, just shrugged it off, thinking that it was probably due to a mixture of hunger and her dream. Which reminded Braxton of her hunger. She looked toward her bedroom door, and thought about Natalie. Braxton had to admit that she was a bit impatient at times, especially at times like these. She almost wanted to just persuade the girl to come to bed with her and be done with it; she knew it would be simple. However, Braxton also had tremendous pride, and she sneered at the thought of not keeping her promise to herself to wait until the girl came to her. Braxton reminded herself of the satisfaction she would feel when it finally happened, and she smoothed out the wrinkles on her blanket as she reminded herself, yet again, to just wait. It would not be much longer.

Confident, Braxton finally opened her bedroom door and walked into the kitchen, and her confident smile faded quickly. 

It seemed that Natalie had finished her phone call, and had returned to the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, her eyes fixed on her phone on the table. She had her face rested in her hand, and she slouched forward, her cleavage spilling out from her low-cut shirt. Braxton was very aware that she was staring, but did not feel compelled to look away. Natalie noticed Braxton was there and looked up at her, apparently not noticing Braxton’s staring. 

“Hey, so I was thinking, I need to go into town to pick up some things. I didn’t quite get to grab all my things from next door, so I need to pick up a few toiletries. I could stop by the library if you want to come with me. I’m not really familiar with the place, so I could use some directions. I know we said we would go later, but I really need some toothpaste.” Natalie smiled up at Braxton.

“I don’t really know where anything is either. I usually just walk to a couple of places, I’ve never really gone far.” Braxton noticed the surprise Natalie tried to cover on her face.

“Oh, well, I could always use the GPS on my phone. You can still come with me.” Natalie then stuttered, “I mean, if you want to. No big deal.”

Braxton smiled. “I don’t have anything going on either. I’ll come with you.”

Natalie beamed at that and said, “Okay! I’ll just throw on a pair shoes and I’ll be ready. We can take my car, unless you would rather drive yours. Mine doesn’t have AC.”

“I don’t have a car. I just walk everywhere I go.” Braxton did not feel like there was anything wrong with that until she said it. Natalie, however, took it in stride.

“My car it is then. We can just roll down the windows. Enjoy the ocean breeze.” She laughed to herself and went to go put on her shoes. 

Braxton slipped her feet into a pair of sandals she kept by her door, and started searching for her apartment keys and phone. Natalie smiled as she led the way out of the door, and Braxton winced when they finally entered the sunlight; she had not been outside in a few days, and it burned her eyes. She was aware of a nervous feeling in her stomach, and found herself intimidated by the idea of seeing so many new places. It seemed so simple to talk about seeing new places, but as she sat in the hot air of Natalie’s passenger seat, Braxton considered going back into her apartment. Back into the cooler, darker air. Back in her apartment, which was just enough of the world for her until Natalie had appeared in her life. Suddenly, Braxton was aware that the world was bigger than she thought, and she also felt slightly sick at the notion that she was clueless about all of it.

Braxton turned toward Natalie, about to call off this ridiculous excursion. Natalie was preoccupied with setting her phone into a stand on her dash, which would allow her to see the directions she had pulled up. Braxton watched her pale fingers prod and struggle with plastic clasps, and watched how she hissed and shook her hand when one of the clasps snapped back onto her finger tip. Natalie’s long hair was falling over her shoulder as she leaned forward toward the dash, and individual wavy strands shifted in the sun, showing a lighter brown color than Braxton had seen in the apartment. The phone finally clicked into place in the stand, and Natalie smiled up at Braxton triumphantly. Braxton smiled back, and quietly sat back in her seat as Natalie started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's been a while. I had this sitting on my desktop, feeling like it was not long enough. Every time I went to add more to it, I just felt unhappy with the result. This chapter is short, but it ends in a good place, and will let me pick up in a better way in the next chapter. Classes are still in full swing, but I refuse to quit on this story! I WILL finish this work, regardless of how long it takes me (hopefully not very long though). So expect irregular updates, but expect them nonetheless. As always, thanks for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Wow okay I don't even know what this is even for. I like writing, and I figured I'd upload some of my writings somewhere so that they weren't just sitting hidden in my computer. Doubtful that anyone will even find this, but here it is.


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